Greg Campbell

The grand jury apparently also felt JonBenet’s parents were to blame, voting to indict them in October 1999.

Legal experts cited in the Camera article disagree as to whether Hunter did the right thing or not by refusing to sign the true bill. A former assistant DA called it “a pretty courageous decision” considering the public pressure to bring charges against someone.

But a law professor who’d followed the case closely said that the proper course would have been for Hunter to sign the bill and then — if he felt he didn’t have sufficient evidence to proceed — dismiss the charges in open court.

“That would be the more transparent and responsible course, in my opinion,” University of Colorado Law School professor Mimi Wesson wrote in an email to the paper.

Absent that transparency, the Ramseys’ attorneys have publicly speculated that the lack of charges meant that the grand jury agreed not to indict the parents.

Hunter’s predecessor, former District Attorney Mary Lacy, officially cleared the Ramseys of any wrongdoing in 2008, but the current district attorney, Stan Garnett, continues to investigate the case and has said he will follow the evidence wherever it leads. Patsy Ramsey died of ovarian cancer in 2006. John Ramsey lives in Atlanta.

Hunter declined to comment for the article, citing grand jury law that prevents participants from commenting on proceedings.

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